Tech giant Google has unveiled a sweeping $37 million investment plan aimed at accelerating the development and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) across Africa.
The funding, which includes previously unannounced commitments, will be channelled into AI research, infrastructure, talent development, and real-world applications to tackle some of the continent’s biggest challenges.
According to a statement released by the company on Thursday, a major highlight of the announcement is the AI Collaborative for Food Security, a $25 million initiative by Google.org that will bring together researchers and non-profit partners to develop AI tools focused on early hunger detection, crop resilience, and advisory support for smallholder farmers.
The goal is to create adaptive and resilient food systems capable of withstanding the continent’s mounting climate and economic pressures.
In a push for greater digital inclusion, Google also awarded $3 million to the Masakhane Research Foundation, a pan-African collective working on AI for over 40 local languages.
A cornerstone of Google’s announcement is the launch of Africa’s first AI Community Center, located in Accra, Ghana.
The facility will serve as a hub for learning, research, and collaboration, with programs focused on AI literacy, community-driven technology, social impact, and the intersection of AI with arts and culture.
Google is also backing academic research with two $1 million grants. One goes to the African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria to support applied AI research and training.
The second supports the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute in South Africa to fund postgraduate students conducting foundational AI research.
Speaking on the investments, Google’s SVP for Research, Labs, and Technology & Society, James Manyika, said:
“Africa is home to some of the most important and inspiring work in AI today. We are committed to supporting the next wave of innovation through long-term investment, local partnerships, and platforms that help researchers and entrepreneurs build solutions that matter.”
Google’s VP of Engineering and Research, Yossi Matias, added:
“By building with local communities and institutions, we’re supporting solutions that are rooted in Africa’s realities and built for global impact.”
This latest investment builds on Google’s past efforts in Africa, including AI-powered maternal health dashboards in Nigeria and Ghana, wildfire alert systems in East Africa, and regional language models developed by teams in Accra and Nairobi.